Monday, March 21, 2011

Petition to Wikipedia Founder Jimbo Wales was created by and written by Joseph W Bishop

To: Wikipedia Founder Jimbo Wales

Dear Mr. Wales:
We are a group of citizens concerned with the fairness of the recent
trial of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito. We ask that you and others
in positions of influence at Wikipedia take a careful look at
Wikipedia’s coverage of the subject. The Murder of Meredith Kercher
article in its present form is not written from a neutral point of view
and bears little resemblance to what reliable sources have said about
the case.

The trial of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito has emerged as one of
the most controversial and heavily criticized judicial proceedings in
modern European history. None of this is properly reflected in the
Wikipedia article which for the most part relies on obsolete and
inaccurate British tabloid reports for its information. The omission
from the article of the criticism of the numerous important experts who
have stated in no uncertain terms that Knox and Sollecito did not
receive a fair trial calls into question the article’s neutrality. Other
flaws in the article include false statements about luminol evidence,
the de-emphasis of Rudy Guede and Giuliano Mignini’s criminal acts prior
to the crime, and the characterization of the support for Ms. Knox as a
PR campaign. Until recently, the article contained a fabricated claim
that the Rudy Guede’s apartment had been purchased for him by a wealthy
Perugian family.

The article goes on to seriously misrepresent the statements made by
Knox and Sollecito during interrogation. In fact both had repeatedly
given the true version of events that they were at Sollecito’s apartment
together and only toward the end after hours of intense pressure did
Ms. Knox make any statements about Patrick Lumumba which were later
shown to be false.

The reliable sources who have criticized the trial include John Q.
Kelly, Judy Bachrach, Douglas Preston, Paul Ciolino, Timothy Egan, Peter
Van Sant, Steve Moore, Bob Graham, Michael Scadron, Judge Michael
Heavey, George Fletcher, Dr. David Anderson, and US Senator Maria
Cantwell. These people have spoken in important media such as CNN, CBS,
ABC, The Independent, and the New York Times and they have all used
unprecedented language to condemn the trial. On Larry King Live two
separate commentators described the tribunal as a “public lynching” and a
“kangaroo court.” New York Times columnist Timothy Egan compared it to
the Salem Witch Trials. In a CBS News segment, long time correspondent
Peter Van Sant stated, “We have concluded that Amanda Knox is being
railroaded.”

The current, mostly European, Wikipedia moderators who have taken
ownership of the article are determined to see that this criticism is
not presented to the readers. In addition, the article's list of books
and television documentaries about the case deliberately omits certain
works that conflict with the agenda of the article's moderators.

Wikipedia has a reasonably well conceived set of guidelines regarding
biographies of living persons (which include Amanda Knox and Raffaele
Sollecito) but they have not been properly applied to this article.
Clear and compelling documentation of irregularities in the article and
in the conduct of the article’s moderators have been presented to
Wikipedia without a proper response.

Wikipedia content is supposed to be based on what reliable sources have
said about the subject, yet the current article has now been explicitly
condemned by the authors of two different books about the case. As an
example, Dr. Mark Waterbury, author of Monster of Perugia, writes, “the
Wikipedia entry for the Meredith Kercher case has been corrupted by
partisan activity, and as of this writing, it is deliberately biased and
inaccurate.”

While mainstream media coverage has been increasingly favorable to Ms.
Knox, it has been offset to some degree by a formidable online campaign
of what can only be described as “hate speech” by those who see her as
guilty. It is members of this camp who have hijacked the Wikipedia
article. At this point, powerful Wikipedia moderators with a non-neutral
agenda have successfully blocked or threatened away a dozen editors who
have challenged the neutrality of the present article. We know of no
other article where the integrity of Wikipedia has been compromised to
this degree.

Please do something about this Mr. Wales. All we are seeking is an
article that accurately reflects what reliable sources have said about
the case.

Please take some personal time, and look at the actual facts of this case. If you do, I am confident that you will come to the same conclusion that I have. Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have been wrongfully convicted. A horrible injustice has occurred in Perugia Italy.

Meredith Kercher had her life stolen from her. Meredith and her family deserve justice. Imprisoning two innocent people will bring no peace and, certainly, no justice for Meredith Kercher.www.injusticeinperugia.org